Your child may be sent for additional studies after your initial appointment with the Pediatric Nutrition Clinic. These may include bloodwork, or imaging studies (such as X-rays). Tests may need to be performed at a later date, but will be discussed at the time of your appointment.

Clinic Hours

Changing Your Appointment

Please call the clinic if you need to change or cancel your appointment.

Important

If the patient is ill with any antibiotic resistant organism, MRSA, a communicable disease (such as Chicken Pox), or a respiratory infection, please notify reception staff prior to your scheduled appointment.

What You Should Bring To The Clinic

Health card, The Ministry of Health requires us to validate your Health card at every clinic visit

Medications your child takes regularly (names and dosages)

A 3-day record of all the foods and liquids your child consumed, by mouth, or by tube

A 3-day record of your child’s urine and stool outputs

Please anticipate that your visit may take up to 2 hours; bring enough food/drink and entertainment for your child to keep occupied.

Interdisciplinary Team

Pediatric Gastroenterologist

The Pediatric Gastroenterologist (Dr. Nikhil Pai) will review your child’s past, and current medical history and identify issues that may be affecting your child’s nutrition. Your gastroenterologist will also liaise with your child’s primary physician (Pediatrician, and/or Family Doctor to insure continuity of care, effective communication, and to help oversee certain management plans).

Registered Dietitian

The dietitian will help identify your child’s caloric intake (oral, by tube, or by IV), rate of weight gain or loss, fluid requirements, vitamin and mineral needs. She/he will help determine your child’s caloric requirements and make adjustments to your child’s feeding schedule if needed. The dietitian can also liaise with your community dietitian to ensure continuity of care and effective communication of recommendations related to feeding, intake and growth.

Nurse/Nurse Practitioner

The nurse will help assess your child’s needs and assist with effective communication to the physician and other team members. Your nurse will also be your primary contact to the clinic between clinic appointments. You will communicate any change in status or questions to the clinic nurse. She/he will provide support to help manage your child’s health between visits. For certain conditions we follow (such as intestinal failure, or short gut syndrome), you may work directly with our advanced practice nurse practitioner.

Additional Allied Health Professionals

Depending on your child’s and family’s needs, you may also meet our clinic social worker, child life therapist, and occupational therapist. Our Pediatric Gastroenterology clinic is also closely affiliated with a wide-range of pediatric medical and surgical subspecialties within McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Our Philosophy

Our philosophy is family-centered care. We strive to provide the best care possible.

Disclaimer: Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) offers Google Translate to better facilitate access for our community. However, HHS makes no claims regarding the accuracy of translations. Any and all health information should be verified by a health care professional.